Top 20 all-time Ottawa Senators

So tomorrow, I start a new project on this blog.

In honour of the Ottawa Senators’ 20th anniversary, I am going to rank the top 20 all-time modern-day Ottawa Senators. Starting with #20 tomorrow, there will be one a day for the next 20 days.

Now it’s no secret that I’m not really considered a fan of the Ottawa Senators. But I didn’t let that get in the way of the project.

As you read through the profiles, you’ll see that I don’t take potshots at the players or the team. I don’t make fun of them. I don’t get into negative thoughts. I give them the respect they deserve.

Now, in case you were wondering what the criteria I used to rank the players, it’s pretty simple: There are no set criteria. While I mention a lot of stats, that’s not the be all and end all. For example, how can you rank a player who played 300 games and got 200 points versus another player who played 500 games and had 350 points? You can’t.

So you need to look at other things: award nominations, all-star appearances, did they improve each season, what fans thought of them, etc.

I also excluded what the players may have done elsewhere in their career. It doesn’t matter that Marian Hossa won a Stanley Cup in Chicago. Or that Martin Havlat won a gold at the World Championships.

Playoff performances with the Sens may impact a player’s ranking though.

I also didn’t look at salaries of players. Really, it doesn’t matter if a guy made $6 million a season or $1 million.

I’m pretty sure you won’t agree with my rankings. That’s normal. You may think I left someone off the list. Or that someone is too high, while another is too low. And there may be some surprises in the rankings.

It would be impossible to get anyone to agree 100 per cent on this. You could ask 100 people to rank their top 20, and you’d end up with 100 different lists.

But I’d love to hear what you think. Come back each day, read about the player, and let me know your thoughts, and if you have any specific memories of the player.

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